Archive for May 31, 2018

Picnic season is here, and it’s time to get ready for it. So this Saturday, to the first person who buys a mixed case of wine, we are offering a free picnic basket or a 6 glass set of Lustau Sherry glasses and a bottle of their Puerto Fino Sherry. Or, buy two cases and take them both home. We’ll also be tasting a lineup of great wines to fill out your picnic basket, barbecue or Saturday afternoon. Stop by the shop and have a sip.

2013 Christian Ninot, Bourgogne Blanc “Les Pellans” $20ChardonnayThis White Burgundy from the Côte de Beaune has lively aromas of flowers, ripe fruit and nuts. The wine is full-bodied and round with nice acidity and a long finish. Who doesn’t like Chardonnay?

2016 Illahe, Viognier $18This Willamette Valley Viognier leaps from the glass with expressive stone fruit, and floral aromas of apricot, tangerine, honey blossom and wet stone. The palate is layered with peach compote, banana peel, and lavender with a touch of uncrushed peppercorn. The wine is steel-fermented to preserve the grape variety’s food-friendly acidity and an off-dry palate. Organic. 12% alcohol by volume

2017 French Pool Toy Rosé $10The FPT is an unpretentious, easy drinking Rosé in a plastic bottle. As the name implies, it is perfect for poolside, but also great for picnics, the beach or just playing catch.

2010 Castello di Monsanto, Monrosso $1480% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo, 5% MerlotThis Chianti is a great value everyday red. It opens with a fragrant cherry bouquet with a hint of apple. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, juicy, and fruit forward. The flavor profile is a mild oak infused black cherry, with hints of plum, black pepper and a touch of black currant. The finish is dry and its moderate tannins are nicely prolonged. Was $17 Now $14

2012 Monteabellon, 14 meses en Barrica Ribera del Duero $20TempranilloA full rich Ribera Red, the Monteabellon comes from vineyards located at higher altitudes with sandy loam soils with clay and limestone content. This Crianza sees 14 months in barrels. It is as smooth and silky as a summer afternoon. Was $24 now $20

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2pm until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5pm.

Sunday, we’re featuring Dragon’s Head’s Ciders. With three dry, traditionally made ciders from their Vashon Island orchard. Between 2 and 4pm, Karen Jensen from Dragon’s Head will be here to answer all your questions about these unique creations.

Traditional Cider $17Crafted from a blend of more than 20 traditional English and French cider apple varieties from their orchards on Vashon Island. These special apples contribute a richness of flavor and character to cider that can’t be achieved with ordinary culinary apples. Appearance – very slight haze, full golden color. Aromas of butterscotch, spice, hay, and a hint of leather. Tastes of dried apple, honey, tangerine zest, fennel, slight bitter finish. Medium-bodied mouthfeel, balanced layered tannins, slightly effervescent.Perry $18The perfect beverage for a celebration. The Perry features a blend of Taylor’s Gold pears with seedling pears unique to Vashon Island, planted by homesteaders around 100-years-ago. Appearance – slight haze, very light golden. Aromas of pear drops, ripe berry, floral, pear skin. Tastes of honey, melon, rose, subtle pear. Clean mouthfeel, slightly astringent finish.Wild Fermented Cider $15This is the Dragon’s Head Cider version of a farmhouse cider. Rather than carefully selecting a yeast strain for the fermentation, they allow the wild yeast present on the skin of the apples to ferment the cider. It’s a bit of a fun gamble, but one they believe is worth taking. Appearance – hazy, straw color, some sediment. Aromas of pineapple, green tea, apple blossom. Tastes of lemon and young pineapple flavors are followed by mild spice and lingering grapefruit notes. Medium body mouthfeel with mild astringency; lightly effervescent.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2pm until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5pm.

Parejas Cellars is a boutique winery in Grandview, Washington in the Yakima Valley that produces high quality, great value wines all from locally grown vineyards. Parejas focuses on the Spanish varietals of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Monastrell, Albarino, and Garnacha Blanca. The “Wysling” label is used for varietals and blends outside of the Spanish focus. Stop by this Saturday as Winemaker Mark Wysling shows off some of this work.

2014 Freres des Vignes $25The Freres des Vignes is equal parts Graciano, Mourvèdre, and Tempranillo, with a dash of Grenache thrown in for good measure. The “Brothers” has enticing aromas & flavors of savory mixed black fruits & barrel spices with an elegant long mouth feel and finish.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2pm until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5pm.

We are off to Greece this Saturday, specifically the island of Crete. The Lyrarakis Estate is a family winery has been producing high quality wines since 1966 with a strong focus on rare local varieties and producing single variety wines. Surrounded by the idyllic setting of the vineyards and the Lassithi Mountains we offer you the opportunity to enjoy nature and discover local varieties and wines distinguished by the uniqueness of their origin and heritage.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2pm until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5pm.

It is May Fair and Mothers’ Day this weekend in Madrona. After the parade and a hot dog at the park swing on by the wine shop and see what we’re tasting. We’ve stocked up on our rosés and it looks like it is going to be the weather for it.

Sunday, we have two Sunday Cider Sippers. Swing by a pickup something for the mothers in your life.Manoir du Parc Rosé Cider $8This Rosé cider from Normandy is made with pink fleshed apples and is delicious by itself or with that weekend breakfast. 3% alcohol by volumeDuché de Longueville Cidre Bouche $10100% Antoinette ApplesThe name Cidre Bouché refers to the champagne-style cork, and like Champagne, the sparkle is a natural byproduct of fermentation – no ‘pompe bicyclette’ here. The ‘Cru’ is the single variety of apple used, giving quality, character and individuality. 4.5% alcohol by volume

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2pm until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5pm.

Saturday we are touring around Europe and tasting some fresh new arrivals from our friends at Vinea Imports. We’ll be visiting the Basque country in Spain, Hungary, back to Spain for a pink cava, then to Coteaux du Lyonnais in France, then finish up in Castilla y León. It’s a whirlwind weekend so come trek along.

2016 Rezabal, Txakoli Blanco – $15100% Hondarrabi ZuriRezabal is a family owned winery located in the Basque country of Spain with a vineyard of 22-hectares planted in a traditional high trellis system. Hondarribi Zuri, a white grape variety, displays very bright, refreshing and fruity aromas and benefits from the constant see breeze blowing in the vineyard daily, bringing great freshness, salinity and acidity to those wines. Naturally fizzy, the wine has aromas of intense fresh citrus fruits and green apple, bright acidity and low alcohol.

2015 Jane Ventura, Reserva de la Música Brut Rose – $17100% GarnachaThe vineyards for the Musica are at a high location, 700 meters. The wine is aged for 2 years on the leas setting it apart from most Cava. The expression of this grape is notable, as well as being very delicate and loaded with fragrance. The bouquet offers up a complex variety of harmonious aromas, with notes of cherries, green apple, strawberry, and cream, pearly minerals and floral perfume with small and delicate bubbles.

2016 Franck Decrenisse, Coteaux du Lyonnais – Mes Vieilles Vignes $14GamayLocated in the Monts d’Or, just north of Lyon, this estate is a leader in the rebirth of the Coteaux du Lyonnaid appellation. Franck Décrenisse has taken over from his parents in 1995 and currently exploits 37 acres of which 5 are planted with very old vines. The Vieilles Vignes is made from 70-year-old vines. The nose is very expressive, fruity and spicy. In the palate, the wine is very round and full of red berries with a bright finish.

2014 Lar de Maia, 5 – $17Tempranillo, Garnacha and SyrahLar de Maía was founded int 2010 in Castilla y León by María Burgoa and Raúl Tamayo practicing organic viticulture, and original, natural winemaking. The 5 has intense red fruit aromas (cherry), blended with hints of vanilla, coconut and licorice that continue through to the finish.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2pm until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5pm.

We’ll have the door wide open this weekend at Madrona Wine letting in the fresh Spring air. The flowers are booming outside but the bouquets we’ll be smelling are coming from the All French lineup we’re tasting. Stop and smell the Rosé.

Sunday we pouring a pair of Southern French organic wines. You can get a wiff of Barougue, Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng a mixed bouquet that is thirst quenching as well.2016 Les Pentes de Barène Tursan $1543% Barougue, 43% Gros Manseng, 10% Petit Manseng, 4% Sauvignon BlancFrom the Southwest of France comes this bold full white. The Pentes de Barene casts aromas of grapefruit, passion fruit, wildflowers and smoky minerals. Crisp and zesty on the palate, with suggestions of grapefruit, guava and chalky minerals. Organic.2015 Hecht & Bannier Languedoc Rouge $1260% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 15% CarrignanAs a result of one year’s wine tastings and selection, this Languedoc Red is blended by the most brilliant fruits of Syrah, from the area of Saint Chinian and the Terraces du Larzac with the tasty Grenache from Roussillon. It’s a fruity wine, a Mediterranean wine that is fresh and thirst-quenching. Organic

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2pm until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5pm.

This Saturday we’ll be exploring wine traditions from some of the lesser known reaches of France. We’ll have an Aligoté from Burgundy, a Cabrades Rosé, a Pinot Noir from the Loire, a Minervois Rouge from the Lanquedoc, and a Trousseau from the Jura. They mostly come from Wine Traditions, an importer that we have followed over the years. Come explore.

2016 Marcel Giraudon, Bourgogne Aligoté $15The Giraudon family has been farming and making wine in Chitry for centuries. Their vineyards are on hillsides of Kimmeridgian chalky marl which is particularly well suited for the Aligoté grape. Marcel Giraudon has six of his 18.5 hectares planted to Aligoté. The wine goes through a malo-lactic fermentation which adds a lovely middle palate to its vibrant fruity and mineral qualities. The wine shows some serious complexity with lime and minerals, a racy edge and a long finish with a bit of toasty cream.

2013 Domaine Grosbot-Barbara, Saint Pourcain Rouge Les Chambre d’ Edoward $19Pinot NoirGrosbot-Barbara grows both Gamay and Pinot Noir, the two sanctioned varieties in Saint-Pourçain. In 2001 a Pinot Noir-loving friend of vigneron Denis Barbara elected to sleep through the night in Pinot Noir tank number seven, then empty. Now his 100% Pinot Noir cuvee is nicknamed “La Chambre d’Edouard” (Edward’s room.) This Pinot has an abundance of bright red fruits with a strong acidic backbone and soft tannins.

2015 Château d’Oupia, Minervois Rouge $1260% Carignan, 30% Syrah, 10% GrenacheThe 13th century estate where 100-year-old Carignan vines grow was inherited by Andre Inche, who began crafting the kind of wines that got the region of Languedoc-Rousillon noticed for more than just bulk wines. The Minervois Rouge has a nose full of sweet, wild herbs and violets, dark, lusty plums, blackberries, cassis, and black pepper that carry on long into the finish.

2016 Domaine de la Touraize, Arbois Rouge Les Corvees $34TrousseauDomaine de la Touraize is a 12-hectare estate, in Arbois, Jura. André-Jean Morin is the eighth generation to farm in Arbois. They began farming organically in 2016. A truly unique Jura red, The Les Corvees has spices, and pepper, mixed with notes of small red fruits. The palate has a beautiful attack with full blended tannins, with an aromatic richness length and balance at the end of the mouth.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2pm until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5pm.